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October is National Dental Hygiene Month!
According to the American Dental Association, “it is an effort
to celebrate the work dental hygienists do and to help raise
awareness on the importance of good oral health.”
This year the ADA is focused on four things that you can do to
improve your oral hygiene. These include brushing for two minutes
twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush, flossing between your
teeth at least once a day, rinsing your mouth with an appropriate
mouthwash (talk to your dental hygienist about which product might
be best for you!), and chewing sugarless gum.
Brushing, flossing, and rinsing, helps to remove the plaque from
your teeth that contains harmful bacteria that can contribute to
tooth decay and periodontal disease (gum disease) and are a common
part of most people’s homecare rou-tine. Chewing sugarless gum may
not be quite as commonplace. Chewing sugarless gum helps promote
saliva production, which in turn helps to cleanse the mouth of
debris. It also can help balance out the pH in your mouth (which is
especially important if you like acid beverages, such as coffee or
soda) and con-tain antibacterial properties.
Some sugarless gums now contain xylitol, which is a natural
sweetener extract-ed from a plant. Bacteria cannot digest it like
they can with sugar. Xylitol dis-rupts bacteria’s ability to adhere
to teeth and form plaque. Therefore, it’s actual-ly anti-cavity! It
also increases salivary pH which helps to decrease acidity of the
saliva. Examples of chewing gum containing xylitol include Spry,
Xyla Gum, Xylichew Gum, and Zellies. Some ice cubes and some
trident include xy-litol as well. Xylitol gum can be found in
healthfood stores, dental offices, or online. Please be aware that
it can be very harmful to dogs.
Your oral health is extremely important as your mouth is the
gateway to the rest of your body and good oral health has been
proven to contribute to good overall health. Remember the four
routines listed above and to visit your dental hygien-ist
regularly.
Kathleen Dunbar, RDH
October/November 2018 Volume 4 Issue 6
Eastport Health Care, Inc.
EHC Wellness Team
Libby Bryant
Kathleen Dunbar
Sue Drew
Holly Gartmayer -DeYoung
Deb Kelly
Wanda Matthews
Deb Pottle
Deb Shields
Mary Stubbs
Kevin Sample
Wellness Team Mission is to promote, support and help provide
access to a workplace that encourages environmental and social
support for a healthy lifestyle.
Eastport Health Care
Celebrates 40 Years of Service to the Community
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Goodbye Dear Friend
from Eastport Health Care
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under
trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or
watch-ing the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste
of time.
J. Lubbock “
We are saying goodbye to an outstanding member of the Behavioral
Health
Team. Patient Care Coordinator, Libby Bryant will be leaving us
at the end of
November. She has worked in the BH Department for 8 years at all
3 locations.
She and her husband Dennis are looking forward to warmer weather
for the
winter months, and we expect them back in the area next spring.
Jennifer
Cushing will be stepping into Libby’s role as Libby leaves in
November. All of
us at Eastport Health Care wish you and Dennis a long and
wonderful retire-
ment with lots of fun adventures! We will miss you!
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From Cynthia Light, CMA (AAMA) Information Management and
Regulatory Compliance Coordinator
From the American Diabetes Association and Deb Pottle, RN,
CDE:
The Burden of Diabetes in MAINE
Approximately 142,000 people in Maine have diabetes. Of these,
an estimated 36,000 have diabetes
but don’t know it, greatly increasing their health risk. 386,000
people in Maine have prediabetes with
blood glucose levels higher than normal. Every year an estimated
8.000 people in Maine are diag-
nosed with diabetes.
In 2016—Washington County had the highest rate of diabetes in
the state.
In 2017—Washington County is ranked 4th at 11.4%
Aroostook County is 1st at 13.3%
Piscataquis County is 2nd at 12.3%
Somerset County is 3rd at 11.5%
Diabetes is expensive:
People with diabetes have medical expense approximately 2.3
times higher than people without.
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Get up and Go-Go!
Administrative News: Oct/Nov 2018 Holly Gartmayer-DeYoung,
CEO
News and Announcements:
intuitive called Payment Reform. Staff and Board will be
receiving information about what changes in reimburse-
ment and covered services EHC can expect. Payment Reform is best
described as a work in progress. What we
know today is that reimbursement for services will change from a
flat prospective payment rate to a rate based
on clinical outcomes. All staff will be invited to contribute to
EHC’s plan to ensure high quality health care con-
tinues with a focus on outcomes so we can maintain a balanced
budget. Our focused Performance Improvement
effort: Targets vs Actual (Pts and Visits) will continue in the
fiscal year.
EHC’s Service Area Competition application was submitted to HRSA
in mid-October. It will be reviewed in a com-
prehensive review process and we anticipate the application will
result in a 3 year grant award commencing
April 1, 2019. Targets and Benchmarks will be shared with staff
upon notification of a grant award.
EHC Community Committee offers a warm invitation to the
Community to join us for an open meeting on Wednesday,
November 14, 2018 at 4:45p in EHC Board Room. We welcome open
dialogue with the community and hope neigh-
bors will come to share. The Committee is seeking feedback
regarding how EHC can be more responsive to their
needs. We’ll share some news about projects, initiatives or
offerings currently underway at EHC. For more infor-
mation please contact Holly Gartmayer-DeYoung at 853-4045 or
[email protected]
EHC is convening several Community Circles: Circle dates planned
in November:
Senior Needs Age Friendly Community Circle – November 16, 2018
at 1:30 in Eastport: EHC Board Room
Circle of Hope – November 29, 2018 at 6pm in Machias: EHC
Behavioral Health Group Room
LBGTQ Community Circle - December 6 at 6:30 in Machias: UMM
Torey Hall Room #234
Staffing Changes:
Mary Ellen Boone MA-Accepted a Full time position in BH
department
Jordyn Turner MA- Joining EHC Medical – Full time
Jen Cushing- Promoted to BH Dep’t Patient Care Coordinator,
Elaine Abbott-Joining in EHC in the Spring-Full time Outreach
and Enrollment Coordinator
Bobbie Jo Aguilar—departed Octover 17, 2018 and is moving out of
state
Jason Green DPM – departed October 23, 2018 and is moving out of
state
Ryan Smith DO – departed October 15, 2018 and is moving out of
state
Board Member News: EHC is recruiting Board Members!
Current members:
Suzanne O’Connor President
Ann Skriletz Vice President
Stephanie Page Treasurer
Molly McDonald Secretary
Tammy Denning
Brian Frutchey
John Foster
John Hawkes
John Venskus
EHC offers gratitude to Samra Kuseybi for her service on the EHC
Board. Samra stepped off the Board the end of
October.
EHC welcomes Brian Frutchey, new Board member, appointed on
October 22, 2018. Brian represents the Recov-
ery Community and EHC’s Machias Community.
EHC began FY2019 and is showing a surplus. We are readying for a
ma-
jor change in reimbursement methodology reflected in a
federal
mailto:[email protected]
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A Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness It’s no secret that the
holidays bring joy, but they can also bring stress. We all know
that prolonged and chronic stress can wreak havoc on your overall
health and wellness, so it’s important to find healthy ways to
manage it. One effective way to do so is to practice
mindfulness.
The Basics
Mindfulness is the process of bringing your full attention to
experiences in the present moment. Being mindful means being aware
of where you are and what you’re doing, as well as not being
reactive or overwhelmed with what’s going on around you. Many
people achieve mindfulness through meditation and yoga.
Getting Started
Mastering meditation takes practice, but getting started can be
easy and not time-consuming. Try the following two quick mindful
meditation techniques next time you’re feeling stressed.
One-minute relaxation breathing—Close your eyes and take a deep
breath in for a count of four, and then exhale for a count of
eight. Repeat five times.
Five-minute body scan meditation—Sit or lay down in a
comfortable position and take a few moments to find
a calm, steady breath. Bring your awareness to sensations in
your body, where you will spend several slow
breaths on each focal point beginning with the left toes and all
the way through the left hip. Repeat on the
right side. From there, follow the same process through your
torso, arms and up through your head.
Makeover Your Holiday Recipes by Substituting Fats Butter, oils
and other fats can add flavor to your favorite recipes, but they
can also add many calories. They act as a barrier so flour does not
absorb as much water to give your dishes a moist, tender feel.
There are many ways to reduce the fat without sacrificing taste;
the trick is to replace fats with foods that add creaminess without
cholester-ol.
Will substituting the fats change how my food tastes?
Substituting fat in your favorite recipes may not give them the
same texture, but it will be close. In addition to lower fat
content, many of the substitute ingredients will add more fiber,
vitamins, minerals and protein to your recipes.
How can I get started substituting?
To experiment, start by substituting one-third of the fat from
the recipe and then increase or decrease to your de-sired likeness.
For baking, use ⅓ cup applesauce or fruit juice and ⅔ cup butter
instead of 1 full cup of butter. In-stead of 1 cup of heavy cream,
use 2 tsp. cornstarch whisked into 1 cup of fat-free milk.
Now that you have the basics, it’s time for you to try it out.
With the holidays right around the corner, now’s the per-fect time
to makeover your beloved (and maybe not the healthiest)
recipes.
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Upcoming Events:
November 11 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Pianist Raja Rahman in Concert,
Eastport Arts Center featuring beloved works such as Bach’s Italian
Concerto, Beethoven’s Pathetique and Moonlight Sonatas, and the
Bach-Busoni Chaconne.
November 8 & 15 @ 9:30 am - 10:30 am, KinderArts presents
Tiny Yogis, The Eastport Arts Center’s will run weekly on Thursdays
from 9:30-10:15 am, through November 15. Instructor Caroline DiLio
will teach yoga through music, dance and storybooks, and young
participants will even learn medita-tion. recurring event Free
Recurring Event—Way to Wellness with Barb Vittum. Weekly every
Thursday, noon -1pm at Eastport Health Care, In the conference room
nutrition & wellness class. Free and open to public
Super Stuffed Squash 2 acorn squash
2 ½ cups water
1 cup brown rice
1 pound ground pork
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 medium sweet apple (peeled, diced)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
4 tsp. olive oil
Fresh parsley (chopped)
Preparations
Heat oven to 350 F. On a large baking sheet, place the squash in
the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove from oven, cut in half, and
remove and discard the seeds. Cook for another 20 minutes or until
soft. In a large stockpot, bring the water and the rice to a boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender
and liquid has been absorbed. In a large nonstick skillet, warm 3
tsp. olive oil over medium heat and add the pork. Once the meat is
browned, add onions, garlic, apples, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt
and pepper. Cook until onion is soft. Add the brown rice. When
squash is done, turn cut--side up in the baking dish. Add a
teaspoon of olive oil to the center of each squash half. Divide the
meat and rice mixture amongst the four squashes. Return to the oven
for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Makes: 4 servings. Each serving provides 631 calories, 30 g of
fat, 10 g of saturated fat, 125 mg of sodium, 26 g of protein, 66 g
of carbohydrates, 5 g sugar and 8 g of fiber. Source USDA
